Brockton killer convicted at 17 granted parole

Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz blasts the decision to parole a man convicted at age 17 in a 1994 double-murder in Brockton. Frederick Christian, 37, has served 20 years in state prison for his role in the slayings.

BOSTON – In a landmark decision, Frederick Christian, 37, was granted parole on Thursday after serving 20 years in state prison for his role in a 1994 double-murder in Brockton.

Christian’s case had gained attention in recent weeks as he was one of two former juvenile offenders seeking parole for the first time since a Supreme Judicial Court ruling in 2013 that struck down mandatory life sentences for juveniles without the chance of parole as cruel and unusual.

The court decision affected Christian and 62 other inmates in the Massachusetts correctional system who had been sentenced to life without parole as juveniles.

In a statement released after the decision, Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz expressed outrage.

“I am shocked and disappointed at the actions of the parole board in setting this double murderer free," Cruz said. "I am still reviewing their findings, but even a cursory review demonstrates that the Parole Board’s findings fly in the face of the evidence at trial and the findings of the jury that convicted Christian of first-degree murder. The board has apparently accepted Christian’s version of events, which he crafted 20 years after the murders of Kepler Desir and Manuel Araujo and the shooting of Carlos Araujo.”

On May 29, Christian and another convicted killer Joseph Donovan, 38, were the first two men to come before the state’s Parole Board seeking their freedom under the court decision.

Thursday, the Parole Board unanimously voted to grant Christian parole given his age at the time of his conviction and his clean record while incarcerated.

Prior to being released, Christian must complete an eight week Motivational Enhancement program and serve one year without incident in a minimum security facility.